When Should You Hire an ICF Mentor Coach? (And What It Can Do for Your Coaching)

By Brent Roy, MCC

When I first discovered coaching, I was drawn to the idea that good questions and deep listening could help people unlock their own answers. Over time, as I pursued my own ICF credentials, I realized something else:

The way we coach is shaped not only by what we learn in courses, but by the relationships we invite into our development.

One of the most powerful relationships in a coach’s growth journey is with an ICF mentor coach.

If you’re an ACC, PCC, or an aspiring MCC, you may know that mentor coaching is part of the ICF credentialing process. But beyond meeting a requirement, it can be one of the most transformative investments you make in your development as a coach.

In this article, I’ll share when it might be time to hire an ICF mentor coach, what typically brings coaches to mentor coaching, and what can change in your practice as a result.

What Is ICF Mentor Coaching, Really?

At its core, mentor coaching is about deepening your application of the ICF Core Competencies through a reflective, collaborative process.

Rather than focusing on business building, marketing, or content, mentor coaching looks closely at:

• How you show up in real coaching conversations
• How you partner with clients
• How consistently your coaching reflects the competencies at your target credential level

It’s not about being judged as “good” or “bad.” It’s about receiving honest, supportive feedback designed to help you grow.

I’m Brent Roy, an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC)—a credential held by fewer than 5% of ICF‑credentialed coaches worldwide. I’m currently the only MCC in New Brunswick, Canada, and I work online with coaches across Canada and around the world.

I’ve seen coaches at every stage of their credential journey discover new freedom and confidence through mentor coaching. It’s good to plan so you’ll know when to hire an ICF mentor coach. Here are some of the signals that it might be time for you.

1. You’re Preparing for a Credential or Renewal (and Don’t Want to Leave It to Chance)

One obvious time to hire an ICF mentor coach is when you’re:

• Working toward your ACC or PCC credential
• Renewing your credential and need mentor coaching hours
• Preparing to apply for MCC

You could treat mentor coaching purely as a requirement to check off. Or you could choose to treat it as intentional time to refine your craft.

Coaches who make the most of mentor coaching tend to:

• Bring real recordings from their coaching practice
• Arrive curious rather than defensive
• See feedback as a gift, not a verdict

If you’re heading into a credentialing process, mentor coaching can help you feel better prepared, less anxious, and more grounded in your actual strengths as a coach.

2. You Feel Stuck at Your Current Level of Coaching

You may have been coaching for years and still feel:

• Unsure how to move beyond surface‑level conversation
• Hesitant to ask bolder or more direct questions
• Afraid of “getting it wrong” and accidentally slipping into consulting or advising

Sometimes coaches sense there’s another level available in their coaching but can’t quite see how to access it from their current habits.

In mentor coaching, we listen to the same recordings together and ask:

• Where did you lean into partnership—and where did you subtly take over?
• How did you respond to your client’s emotions, body language, and language patterns?
• Where did you trust the process—and where did you rush to relieve discomfort?

Often, what emerges is not a list of technical fixes, but a deeper awareness of who you’re being as you coach. From there, you can begin experimenting with new ways of showing up.

3. You’re Transitioning from ACC to PCC (or PCC to MCC)

Each ICF credential level calls for a different depth of partnership and presence:

• At ACC, coaches often work hard to remember the competencies and apply them step‑by‑step.
• At PCC, there’s a growing fluidity—the competencies are more integrated.
• At MCC, there is a quieter, deeper presence, a stronger trust in the client, and a willingness to lean into uncertainty.

If you’re moving from ACC to PCC, or PCC to MCC, you may notice:

• The way you’ve been coaching has taken you far—but now it’s not quite enough.
• You get feedback that your coaching is “solid,” but you want something more.
• You sense that your own inner work is now part of what needs to shift.

An ICF mentor coach can help you understand what the ICF assessors are listening for at your target level—and how you can grow toward it without losing your authentic coaching style.

4. You Want Honest, Compassionate Feedback on Your Coaching

Many coaches rarely receive genuine feedback on their coaching once they leave training. Clients give testimonials about outcomes, but they don’t usually say:

• “You interrupted me here.”
• “That question pulled me away from what I was trying to say.”
• “When you shared advice, it shifted us out of partnership.”

Mentor coaching invites feedback at that level—not to shame, but to support your growth.

In mentor coaching with me, we typically:

• Listen to your recorded sessions together (with client permission and confidentiality)
• Note the moments that worked especially well
• Explore the spots where a different move might have supported deeper client insight or ownership
• Celebrate your progress as you try new things

It can feel vulnerable at first. But over time, many coaches say they’re deeply grateful for this kind of attention, because it helps them coach with more integrity and confidence.

5. You’re Curious About MCC‑Level Coaching (Whether or Not You Plan to Apply)

You don’t have to be ready to apply for MCC to be drawn to MCC‑level coaching.

You might simply feel:

• A pull toward more spacious, client‑led, presence‑driven conversations
• A desire to rely less on tools and more on trusting the coaching relationship
• A sense that the way you’re working now is too effortful, and you want coaching to feel more natural

Working with an MCC mentor coach can give you a taste of what that level of partnership looks and feels like—both as a client and as a fellow coach.

You may discover:

• Where you still try to “prove” your value in the session
• Where you’re over‑relying on certain questions or structures
• Where you might relax more into who you are, and trust your client more fully

Whether you ever apply for MCC, this kind of exploration can deepen your practice in meaningful ways.

6. You Don’t Want to Grow Alone

Coaching is solitary work in many ways. You sit with clients, session after session, holding space for their growth.

But who is holding space for yours?

You might already have:

• A peer coaching relationship
• A supervision group
• A learning community

These are valuable. Mentor coaching adds another dimension—a focused, structured space specifically for growing your competence in line with ICF standards.

You don’t have to figure out your development path alone. In mentor coaching, we co‑design what to focus on based on:

• Your credential goals
• Your current strengths and patterns
• The kind of coach you want to become

What Can Change After a Season of Mentor Coaching?

Mentor coaching doesn’t turn you into someone else. It helps you become more of who you are as a coach, with greater awareness and intention.

Coaches often describe shifts like these:

More Ease, Less Performance

You find yourself:

• Trusting your client more
• Feeling less pressure to “do it right”
• Letting go of scripts and showing up more fully present

Coaching starts to feel less like executing a checklist and more like partnering in a meaningful conversation.

More Depth, Less Surface Talk

Your sessions begin to:

• Go beyond problem‑solving into what really matters for your clients
• Include more silence, reflection, and emotion
• Produce insights that feel truer and more lasting for your clients

You notice your clients taking more ownership of their work and their growth.

More Alignment, Less Guesswork Around ICF Standards

Instead of wondering, “Am I coaching at ACC, PCC, or MCC level?” you start to:

• Recognize the elements of your coaching that align with each levelUnderstand where you’re strong and where you’re still developingFeel more confident preparing recordings or applications for ICF

You’re not guessing in the dark—you’re growing with feedback.

A Final Invitation

If you’ve been wondering whether it’s time to work with an ICF mentor coach, pay attention to that curiosity. It might be your future self tapping you on the shoulder.

You don’t have to wait until you feel “ready enough.” Mentor coaching is not about being perfect—it’s about being willing to grow.

As an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC)—a credential held by fewer than 5% of ICF‑credentialed coaches worldwide and currently the only MCC in New Brunswick, Canada—I offer mentor coaching for ACC, PCC, and MCC‑aspiring coaches who want to deepen their practice with honesty, warmth, and rigour.

If you’d like to explore whether mentor coaching with me is a good fit, I’d be glad to talk.

And if you’re reading this as a leader rather than a coach, you may find it helpful to read Seven Reasons Executives Hire a Coach (And How It Can Change Your Leadership).

Book a free discovery consultation to start a conversation about your goals and what mentor coaching could look like for you.

Brent Roy is an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC)—a designation held by fewer than 5% of ICF‑credentialed coaches—and is currently the only MCC in New Brunswick, Canada. After three decades in communications and leadership roles, he now focuses on helping senior leaders through executive coaching and supporting ACC, PCC, and MCC‑aspiring coaches through ICF mentor coaching. He works online with clients across Canada and around the world.